The seaglider company has created more than 135 jobs and reinvested $22 million into the state.

REGENT team

North Kingstown, RI, Aug. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

media@regentcraft.com

• REGENT has achieved key milestones, including proving seaglider technology, advancing certification, and expanding its global order book.

• Learn more about why REGENT chose Rhode Island as its headquarters here, and explore open career listings here.

REGENT Craft, the manufacturer of all-electric seagliders for sustainable maritime mobility, celebrates two years since it moved its headquarters to the state.

Founded outside of Boston in late 2020, REGENT moved to the Ocean State in August 2022. Rhode Island offers three key factors that make it ideal for seaglider development and manufacturing: ideal test environments, strong naval architecture and composites expertise, and access to top talent from across New England.

“We’re proud that seagliders are made in America, and in the two years that REGENT has been in Rhode Island, we’ve made significant progress in achieving our mission of revolutionizing coastal transportation,” said Billy Thalheimer, Co-founder and CEO, REGENT. “REGENT is poised to make Rhode Island the national hub for seaglider manufacturing and a global center for the Blue Economy.”

Company milestones 

Since arriving in Rhode Island, REGENT has achieved key milestones in its journey to revolutionize regional costal transportation around the world.

• Proved seaglider technology: REGENT successfully tested its quarter-scale prototype, proving the viability of the technology behind the seagliders three operating modes, float, foil, and fly.

• Expanded its facilities: The company expanded from 10,000sqft to 30,000sqft and was responsible for the 13,000th employee hired in Quonset Business Park, where REGENT is based.

• Completed record Series A: REGENT secured a  $60 million Series A in October 2023, the largest venture capital raise for a startup in Rhode Island history.

• Advanced seaglider certification: Building on existing international guidance, REGENT has progressed seaglider certification in the U.S. and in markets around the world to ensure the highest levels of safety.

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Impact on Rhode Island 

In two years, REGENT has driven more than $22 million in economic benefits to Rhode Island through investment in employees, local suppliers, facility developments, and general contractors, and created more than 135 jobs, including contract positions and internships.

REGENT plans to break ground on a test facility and manufacturing center with up to 600,000 additional square feet this fall and create hundreds of additional jobs in the next few years.

REGENT has also supported STEM development through partnerships with local programs and universities, including Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, the University of Rhode Island, the International Yacht School, and New England Tech.

About REGENT 

REGENT is pioneering the future of sustainable maritime mobility through the development and manufacturing of all-electric seagliders. Seagliders are a new category of vehicle that combine the speed of an aircraft with the convenience of a boat to deliver an affordable and efficient transportation solution between coastal destinations. REGENT’s flagship seaglider, Viceroy, is a 12-passenger vehicle that travels at 180mph to service routes up to 180 miles on a single charge.

REGENT has secured more than 600 seaglider orders valued at more than $9 billion from leading airline and ferry operators around the world and has raised more than $90 million from investors including 8090 Industries, Founders Fund, Japan Airlines, and Lockheed Martin.

Notes for editors  

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CONTACT: Kirsten Salyer REGENT 401-328-0532 kirsten.salyer@regentcraft.com

Have an E-ZPass? You will soon be able to use it to pay for gas on your phone in Rhode Island.

PayByCar, which the program that allows you to pay for gas on your phone using E-ZPass, announced Tuesday it will be expanding into several states. The expansion will take place over the next two years.

The initiative has been active in Massachusetts since 2022, with more than 20 gas stations across the state participating.

Here’s what to know about the program’s expansion into the Ocean State.

How to pay for gas and parking with your E-ZPass

PayByCar is a mobile payment system that allows you to pay for gas or parking using your E-ZPass.

To use it, enrollment is available on the PayByCar website. Payment is charged to the card linked to the user’s E-ZPass account.

Once you have an active account, you can use it at any participating location. When arriving at a location, you will receive a text to utilize the touchfree payment system. Once completed, a receipt will be sent to your phone.

It eliminated putting in a pin numbers and digging around for a credit or debit card. E-ZPass says it cuts the time of a transaction in half.

“The drivers of 55M vehicles with E-ZPass tags already know how seamless paying for tolls is. We are determined to bring that simplicity to all the other payments made on the go,” said Kevin Condon, Founder and CEO at PayByCar, Inc in a press release.  “We are also drivers so we know how frustrating it can be downloading multiple apps and wallets and then searching for them when you need to make a quick purchase, managing paper receipts, losing tickets in parking garages, or risking identity theft from transactions where card skimming results in millions of dollars in losses each year.”

Where can you use your E-ZPass to pay for gas in Rhode Island?

The PayByCar EZPass system will be expanded across the United States in the next two years, the company said. The exact launch date in Rhode Island is not yet known.

What other states is E-ZPass expanding PayByCar to?

Within the next two years, E-ZPass is looking to bring PayByCar to Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia, and Georgia.

PAWTUCKET — The top seed went down Tuesday. The three-time champion followed with an exit on Wednesday.

The drama continues on the boys side at the 105th Rhode Island Junior Amateur, with Ian Dunham providing the highlight in the match play quarterfinals at Pawtucket Country Club.

Dunham stormed from behind on the back nine and edged Max Jackson in 19 holes, a meeting of high school stars who will both continue in college this fall. None of the top four seeds remain entering Thursday morning’s semifinals, which will also feature reigning Interscholastic League champion Rocco Capalbo.

More: Have a Rhode Island golf bucket list? Here are the five courses Eric Rueb wants to play.

More: Familiar names near top of leaderboard after Day 1 of Rhode Island Junior Amateur.

“It’s just such a grind to play a guy like that,” Dunham said to the Rhode Island Golf Association. “He hit so many good shots. That last stretch of holes — 14, 15, 16, 17 — I played some of the best golf.”

There will be no introductions necessary in the girls semifinals. Olivia Williams held off Adriana Eaton to capture the Women’s Amateur last summer. Lily Dessel and Claire McTaggart are Barrington High teammates who will now square off as opponents.

“If my wedge game and putting is on, then it should be a good match,” Eaton said. “Just treat it as another round of golf; don’t worry about the opponent and just play me against the course.”

“Try to keep the same mindset for any opponent,” Dessel said. “Play steady, be a tough opponent for them and just have fun with it.”

Jackson, the La Salle Academy star and Rutgers commit, was 3 up through 13 and seemed in control on his home course. Dunham turned the match by rolling in a 25-footer for birdie at the par-4 14th and capped his sudden run by stuffing a 6-iron to within 6 feet at the par-4 17th. Dunham converted on another birdie putt, giving the former Chariho standout and Franklin Pierce commit a 1-up lead.

“I was down most of the day — all through the first nine holes,” Dunham said. “Then on the back, he won 11 and 12. I missed a couple key putts from 5 or 6 feet and I couldn’t get anything going.”

Jackson made birdie on the par-4 18th to extend the match but couldn’t get down for par while replaying the first. Dunham two-putted to punch his ticket for a meeting with Brayden Dickinson, who also made a par at the 19th hole to outlast Eli Hamelsky. Neither player held more than a 1-up lead through the first 18, and Hamelsky made par at the last to force an extra hole.

Capalbo continued what has been a fairly routine week to date by handling Drew MacLeod, 4 and 3. The rising sophomore at Prout has extended his hot form to the summer, losing just one of the 15 holes he played in the quarterfinals. He’ll face Jesse Hellring in the semifinals after the No. 8 seed eliminated Tuesday hero Nick Emery, 6 and 5.

“You always hope the other player plays good,” Capalbo said. “But at the same time, you want them to make mistakes and not you. I think it’s very important.”

“I’m pretty confident,” Hellring said. “I like this course. It’s really a fair course — if you hit it good you’re going to have some chances.”

Eaton and Williams both eased to 5-and-4 wins in their quarterfinals. Eaton built a 5-up lead at the turn while taking out Emma Lockhart. Williams, the two-time defending champion, was 2 up through 11 against Elizabeth Kue before winning her last three holes.

“I’m feeling good after today,” Eaton said. “I like this course. It’s in very good shape and I feel like it’s a good length.”

Dessel won seven of nine holes on the front side to take immediate control against Ava Andoscia, cruising to an 8-and -7 win. McTaggart had to work a little harder against Julia Nault, losing an early 3-up lead before winning the 13th and 17th to secure a 2-and-1 triumph. The pair of Eagles will go out at 7:54 a.m. Thursday, starting eight minutes after the Williams-Eaton match.

“I just went into it trying to play steady,” Dessel said. “That was kind of my goal. That was pretty much what I did.”

Boys championship

Jesse Hellring def. Nick Emery, 6 and 5; Rocco Capalbo def. Drew MacLeod, 4 and 3; Brayden Dickinson def. Eli Hamelsky, 19 holes; Ian Dunham def. Max Jackson, 19 holes.

Girls championship

Olivia Williams def. Elizabeth Kue, 5 and 4; Adriana Eaton def. Emma Lockhart, 5 and 4; Lily Dessel def. Ava Andoscia, 8 and 7; Claire McTaggart def. Julia Nault, 2 and 1.

Boys first division

Connor Ahlborg def. Rich Cavanagh, 3 and 1; Luke Cavanaugh def. Noah Patel, 1 up; Connor Rabbitt def. Nick Adamonis, 2 and 1; Zachary Taraian def. Julien Kocatas, 5 and 4.

Boys 14U

Mitch McTaggart def. Nick Keefe, 7 and 6; Aidan Connell def. Ray Rainville, 2 and 1; Raj Mammen def. Logan Ferreira, 7 and 6; Nico Capalbo def. Kailer Louangxay, 1 up.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25